Assessment Tool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assessment Tool - Essay Example This paper will concentrate on the communication aspect. Positive result of communication contributes a lot such as increased recovery rates, a sense of safety and protection, better patient satisfaction. The communication may include comprehensible pronunciation, listening skills, non-verbal communication and usage of professional as well as local language. Cultural awareness also is an inevitable part of communication. Assessment Tool Purpose Simulations can be used to assess the communication skills of the nursing students. In simulations, particular set of conditions are created artificially for studying or experiencing something that could exist in reality. The simulations can be created by the clinical faculty without harming the patient. Here the patients will be able to give their feedback both physiologically and interactively. The members of the family also cooperate in this assessment. This keeps away miscommunication that might cause risks on patients. It can be a cheerfu lly constructed clinical setting where there is an interpersonal relationship among the patient , relative, peer etc. The faculty also may include recording in the process to keenly observe the flaws. Creating such simulation including different people can enhance the communication skills. As Wright (2012) opines, the students can work in various teams setting like labor and delivery, operating room, and running a code, that give good chances to assess and enhance students communication skills and behaviors in different situations. Nonverbal communication is of great importance that this is critically important to receivers. For instance, a simulation to take patients’ vital signs can certainly yield data about the students’ skills to get the numerical measures and use of blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. The simulation can help to recognize four factors to check the non verbal communication of the students. They are smiling when greeting the patients, offering shak e hands, keeping an eye contact while communicating and lastly speaking clearly and loudly. As Pagano and Greiner (2012) point out, the simulation help both the faculty and the students to identify the necessity of interpersonal skills of building relationships that the nurse needs to educate and console the patients along with the data. As explained above, by using the simulations, the verbal communication also can be easily assessed. Here the faculty can evaluate how students behave in different situations and their language. For example, when a nurse is asked to talk to patient about his health problems, the nurse will be assessed by her ability to choose words and phrases for her language considering the patients health literacy level. Faculty using an emotional environment of the patient can assess the nursing student’s capacity to handle such emotional contexts. And there is also a possibility that the nursing students try to be professionals, keep an appropriate nursin g language that sometimes makes them forget the changes in contexts. And sometimes they may have to take even an authoritative role according to the contexts. The important relation between context and communication also is well understood by simulations. Through simulations, the faculties can also assess the listening skills of students such as focusing on what

Apush Constitution Essay Example for Free

Apush Constitution Essay The Federalists, on the other hand, maintained as broad constructionists who argue that government should do whatever that is not forbidden on the Constitution. However, throughout the course of 1801 to 1817, both parties failed to stay consistent with their original principles and adopted whichever interpretation of the Constitution that serves them best. Politically, the War of 1812, also known as â€Å"Mr. Madison’s war† with Britain, stirred the most controversy in Federalist and Republicans. Madison supported the war because of the seemingly auspicious terms he can get out of the war. War of 1812 promised several things: more land for settlement, completely elimination of Britain’s presences in America and Canada, and most importantly, it promised to restore unity in U. S. Federalists, now acting as strict constructions, demands word by word justification of declaring war on Britain. For example, Daniel Webster argued that â€Å"†¦Where is it written in the Constitution, in what article or section is it contained, that you may take children from their parents, and parents from their children, and compel them to fight the battles of any war in which the folly or the wickedness of the government may engage it? † Many Federalists felt declaring war with the country of their origin is unfaithful to the Canon Laws which they obey in churches. Furthermore, they view France as America’s real enemy since it seized more cargo from American merchants than Britain. Economically, both Jefferson and Madison shift their constructionist policies and contradict with their former ideologies about the interpretation of Constitution. For example, prior to Jefferson’s presidency, he firmly addressed his belief that the power of government comes from what is given from the Constitution in lines â€Å"I believe [we] shall obtain†¦a majority in the legislature of the United States, attached to the preservation of the federal Constitution, according o its obvious principles and those rights unquestionably remaining with them;† (Doc A). However, he contradicted his belief in strict constructionism with Louisiana Purchase, since Constitution didn’t grant him the power to make such purchases. Many Federalists now shifted their stances to strict constructionist who demands justification of whether such expenditure is constitutional or not. Jefferson, acting as loose constructionist now, supports the purchase because it opens lands for settlement and strengthens his popularity in South and West. The loose constructionism of the Jeffersonian Republicans is also shown in the Embargo Act of 1807 and Non-intercourse Act. Both acts restricted American ships from engaging foreign trade between the years of 1807 to 1812 especially to England and France. To Federalists in New England, who profited from supplying Britain and French during Napoleonic war, the two acts placed by Jefferson is an abuse of power by the Federal government. They felt the constitution did not provide government the power to place embargo, and believe that the government is dragging the nation’s economy back (Doc C). Jefferson once again loosely interprets and Constitution and validates these acts by claiming these acts as protection of American interests and avoid warfare. The Protective Tariff of 1816, which designs to benefit domestic economy, further accentuates the Jeffersonian Republicans’ shift from strict constructionism. Several strict constructionists in Democratic Republican Party pointed out that â€Å"†¦ the present government renounces the true republican principle†¦ its principle now is old Federalism†¦it would be unjust, to aggravate the burdens of the people for the purpose of favoring manufactures†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Many Democratic Republicans felt the imposition of tariffs on citizens overrides the original republican belief that the government shall have no power to interdict actions that Constitution didn’t specify (Doc. B) and therefore, the strict constructionists in the Republican Party felt cheated by Jefferson and Madison. In general and Jeffersonian Republicans and Federalists are more than willing to compromise their originals principles for national and sometimes self-serving interests whenever they feel necessary. Jefferson, later in 1816, addresses that â€Å"†¦the laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightens, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also and keep pace with the times. † (Doc. G)

James Eugene Carrey :: Essays Papers

James Eugene Carrey The exceptional Canadian actor, Jim Carrey, has exploded onto the movie scene in the past five years. His "comedic unpredictability" has become his trademark in Hollywood (Hughes 28). The roles he played in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber have brought back the "dumb roots" back to comedy (Trakin 56). His combination of physical grace and facial contortions can make just about anyone laugh. Even as a child in Newmarket, a suburb of Toronto, Carrey put on his own comedy shows for family, friends, and schoolmates. Acting in a third-grade Christmas pageant at Blessed Trinity School, the young Carrey stopped the show with his goofy portrayal of Santa Claus. In the seventh grade he was allotted 15 minutes at the end of each school day to perform for his classmates (Hughes 39). When Jim was 14 and his father lost his job, he learned that "life offers no assurances, so you might as well do what you're really passionate about," as he explained to Richard Corliss of Time. These words represent Jim's life and how he eventually became who he is today. The whole family--Percy, Kathleen, sons Jim and John, and daughters Pat and Rita--went to work at Titan Wheels, a tire factory in Scarborough, Ontario. After putting in a full day at school, the children labored all night, as assembly line workers and janitors. "At 16 Carrey dropped out of school, his straight A's having plummeted to failing grades under the strain of working the evening shift" ("Jim Carrey" 75). The Carreys eventually quit their factory jobs and took to living in a Volkswagen camper. In an interview with Fred Schruers, Carrey said, "It sounds sad but we were so much happier than we'd been being those people we didn't like...we became living, happy, laughing people again, people that had food fights every Sunday" (Johnston 3). In the meantime, Jim Carrey had begun his standup comedy career, "A psychological double-edged sword that simultaneously provided an outlet for the pressure he felt to support his family" ("Jim Carrey" 75). In Tennessee Williams memory play, "The Glass Menagerie," a character named Jim O'Connor plays a gentleman caller. His high- school years are in great contrast to Jim Carrey's high-school days. "In high school, Jim was a hero." "He had tremendous Irish good

Segregation: Martin Luther King

In the early 1900s America was torn apart in a battle known as segregation. The African American race was treated unjustly and faced a tough journey. They were shoved aside and torn apart from the Caucasian Americans. There was separate railroad cars, schools, and even to such small insignificant things as separate water fountains. The white children were being taught to treat African Americans as dirty people who deserved to be separate. It created a prejudice that would take years to overcome, to completely be unselfish again. Caucasian Americans were very wrong in their thinking and they never thought about how it made African Americans feel. The African Americans of this time period were struggling to overcome this new time where they were treated as outsiders, as if they were not a part of the American people. Every single human being is uniquely different and segregation was a constant battle our fellow Americans fought to overcome, all for the sole purpose of gaining equality. There were Caucasian people who thought segregation was a good thing and supported it strongly. They didn’t think there was anything wrong with separate facilities and they didn’t even wonder about how African Americans lives were affected by this injustice. African Americans rights were basically stripped away all because they were viewed as â€Å"different. † A Florida congressman, Frank Clark, was open about his views on segregation. He truly believed segregation was a great thing and he supported this belief. When talking about the railroad cars he explains that it is good to have separate ones. He blames the conditions of the cars on the African Americans. He states to â€Å"imagine a nice, new passenger coach, packed with dirty, greasy, filthy negroes, down South in midsummer, and you can readily understand why that car does not long remain as good, as clean, and a as desirable as a similar car occupied exclusively by white travelers† (Frank Clark praises segregation 37). In this statement he was expressing his true beliefs. He also said that â€Å"if God Almighty had intended these two races to be equal, He would have so created them† (Frank Clark praises segregation 37). Frank Clark was a very firm believer in the Social Darwinism theory. He believed that white men were better because God created them that way. He was very prejudiced in his way of viewing the human races, as if whites were superior. Another person who supported segregation was George Wallace, a governor of Alabama. During his inauguration speech, he says that â€Å"in the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny and I say: segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever† (George C. Wallace, Inaugural Address as governor of Alabama 120). He wanted the Southerners to fight for segregation. He wanted them to vote and to defend â€Å"their† homeland. Wallace said that he was helping every person in the state, but in all actuality he was supporting whites only. Not as openly as some, but definitely in favor of segregation. He wanted the Southerners to be the most powerful, the Caucasian Southerners. Segregation was a very powerful movement that had everyone in an uproar. Although some saw segregation as a good thing, many others fought for their freedom wholeheartedly. For this reason, the â€Å"Separate but Equal† case eventually became overthrown. Those who fought for freedom slowly made progress. W.  E. B Du Bois, a leading African American of this time, stood up for the rights they were being robbed of. He didn’t believe Booker T. Washington was dealing with civil rights in the best way possible. Talking about the African American race, he states that â€Å"-we must unceasingly and firmly oppose them. By every civilized and peaceful method we must strive for the rights which the world accords to men, clinging unwaveringly to those great words which the sons of the Fathers would fain forget ‘We hold these truths to be self evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (W.  E. B Du Bois, â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington 33). He believed there were ignoring the fact that the stands there were already taking and the movements that had created were not working. He believed they needed to take a better stand to end segregation. Another supporter of ending segregation was pro-baseball player Jackie Robinson. He wrote a letter to President Eisenhower so that he could explain what it was like living in America this way. He wanted the president to understand what they were doing to the African American race. Robinson explains that the African Americans have been patient for too long and it was time for the country to change. He wanted the president to give them the rights they were entitled to have as Americans. He challenged the President to find a way to give them back their freedom and treat them equally. (Letter From Jackie Robinson to President Eisenhower 103). During this time period, one of the most famous speeches of all time was given. Martin Luther King’s, â€Å"I Have a Dream Speech† rocked the nation to its core. He wanted to completely end segregation and create a nation that was equal. He believed that civil rights advocates should not use violence to get this freedom, but to do it in a way that showed American the true souls of the African American people. He dreamed of a day when the nation would treat everyone equally, he dreamed of a time when whites and former slaves could share a table and meal, he dreamed of Mississippi becoming a state of freedom and justice instead of oppression. Martin Luther King had a dream that children would not be judged by their skin but by who they were as individuals. He had a dream that one day we could all sing together â€Å"My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring! † (Martin Luther King, I have a Dream Speech 122). This was the most influential speech of all and many people took it to heart. All of these different people fought to end segregation. Segregation was a true raging enemy in the eyes of African Americans. They wanted the freedom that was promised to all American and they fought hard to gain that freedom. Many speeches, many movements and many humiliating experiences got them closer and closer to achieving their goal. Finally the Supreme Court declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. This was the first progress African Americans had seen in a long time. They deserved to be treated equally. America would not be America if people were not all equally free. Freedom holds this country together, as it has for all of the years past. Segregation was a battle fought for years, but in the end was worth it for every race, ethnicity, and even religious person could have equality.

The Most Identifiable American Neo Expressionist Artists Film Studies Essay

Appropriation is defined as: The artistic pattern or technique of make overing images from well-known pictures, exposure, etc. , in one ‘s ain work. David Salle and Julian Schnabel are considered to be the most identifiable American Neo-Expressionist creative persons. These creative persons use appropriation to make new images from history, pop civilization and modern-day art. By borrowing imagination from a assortment of beginnings, their graphics is set apart from work by other creative persons. What sets Salle and Schnabel apart is that they do non merely put the borrowed images into a montage but they redraw or repaint the images taking their ownership of the objects. They non merely make an image that looks new, they besides create artworks the emotionally experience different as good. David Salle deliberately and carefully topographic points images that â€Å" mention to plan, to older art, to current political events, to foreign civilizations, to movie noir and, above all, to the slippery terrain of human dealingss, particularly those between adult females and work forces. † Salle ‘s pictures are most frequently physically divided into two or more parts. His pictures are officially big nevertheless emotionally intimate. There is normally a background that interacts with overlying images. While the background is slightly quiet or filtered, the overlying images are brighter and bolder. Womans are a favourite topic. In his abstract pictures the original context seems to be really vague. In other words, even if you know where the original image was taken from, it does nil to assist understand the significance it takes in his diversion of it. It can be thwarting to the spectator to digest all the images of Salle ‘s art. The imagination is a changele ss conflict between big and little, painted and drawn, one colour and another, shut up and far off. For illustration in Salle ‘s picture, Tennyson, he is able to get married together figuration with pictural linguistic communication. As kind of court, Salle often incorporates images and objects found in Jasper John ‘s work, including the name â€Å" Tennyson. † He besides uses a readymade object ( wooden ear ) to perchance cite John ‘s, Target with Plaster Casts † 1955. I instantly question the significance of the stick outing ear to the connexion of the rubric. The out of use letters across the picture perplex the enigma of the ear by spelling out the name of a Victorian poet. The wooden alleviation of the ear bids your attending over the picture of the bare adult female. The female figure lies in a field of a chocolate-brown xanthous colour. The colour field is interrupted by spots of greenish blue and ruddy which seem to border the out of use letters. The ear is placed in the upper right manus corner and is framed and highlighted by the bold spot o f greenish blue. The ear seems to be listening to the rubric of the picture. There is a sense of wrongness given by the bold picture of the poets name across the organic structure of the bare female. The first two missive of the rubric are painted different colourss. This suggests importance of the remainder of the letters. Is the ear hearing to the rubric as a whole or merely listening to â€Å" T†¦ Tocopherol†¦ † ? If so, how is it related to sensualness of the bare female? As with many other of Salle ‘s artworks the inquiries provoked are without simple replies. Salle appropriates images because he is attracted to them and insists that there is no narrative to them. He chooses images based by the temper of the scene and it is temper that he is after in his ain picture. Although his disconnected imagination does non ever seem to add up as a whole, he is still able to put an implicit in temper between the images. Much like David Salle, Julian Schnabel ‘s work draws on a broad assortment of beginnings and stuffs. Schnabel besides normally uses the technique of overlapping images and multiple canvases like Salle. Formally, his pictures are tremendous and over painted with heavy pigments. Schnabel chooses to picture images appropriated from bing art and the mass media which besides included attaching existent objects to his canvases. He seems to desire his pictures to do contact with the outer universe by presenting existent things and existent topics. His attack is non to arise against art of the past and alternatively to unite past manners. His combinative attack became his chief manner of picture. In contrast to Salle ‘s thoughts that self-expression is inappropriate, Schnabel ‘s holds high respect to non merely appropriation of imagination but besides to self-expression in his plant. He often features spiritual and, in peculiar, Catholic iconography and subjects. He wants to undertake issues of life and decease, agony, spiritualty, as in Exile,1980. Schnabel is drawn to the Baroque manner of picture and derives imagination from it. In the picture named Exile, a immature adult male is keeping a basket of fruit. This is a copied image from Caravaggio, Boy with a Basket of Fruit, 1594. The other piece of imagination is from a kid ‘s amusing book. These combined images are presumed to pull on the analogues between the Italian creative person ‘s isolation and his ain in downtown NY. Antlers are absolutely positioned on the canvas. The â€Å" utilize the antlers non to disjoin the surface of the picture as the home bases do but to add another distinguishable component of pulling to the composing. If cubism can be understood as the effort to capture 3-dimensional infinite on a planar surface, so Schnabel ‘s pictures seek to change by reversal that procedure. † ( 2 ) Merely as Salle was successful in impairing figuration with pictural linguistic communication, Schnabel ‘s success came with blending saintly subjects with a sign technique. Neo-expressionists as a whole are brave, bold and make bolding. Formally the pictures are typically big and are rapidly executed. They feel free to paint their ain desires, memories and frights. They detested the impression of painting â€Å" about nil. † Neo-expressionism brought back the romantic topics and traditional signifiers. Their ends were to make emotionality of narrative and historical content. Another common land shared between Italian, German and American creative persons is their ability to intermix tradition and invention, history and current events, emotion and look. What begins to put them apart is that creative persons tended to pay most attending to their ain heritage. â€Å" Peoples have withdrawn into their ain histories to seek to happen meaningsaˆÂ ¦ When Italians and Germans go back into their history, they ‘re traveling back to their strengths. A batch of Americans are traveling back to their beginnings excessively † ( 3 ) Although Neo-expressionism art can non be classified as holding merely one expression, the nationalities of the creative persons are reflected in their work. Anselm Kiefer borrows from Germany ‘s history, mythology and romantic symbols with work such as Nigrede, 1984. In the tremendous picture Kiefer expresses the centuries of struggle and desolation that occurred on German dirt. The canvas is enourmous in graduated table with a textured surface of straw and lead. American creative persons were besides bring forthing art along the same pathways nevertheless the procedures of allowing images were different. American painter Eric Fischl produced plants that distinctively have American mentions as in Fischl ‘s Dining Room, Scene 2, 2003. Transavantguardia creative person Mimmo Paladino, conveys the subject of life and decease through crude images by the usage of fables and myths as motives. For illustration in Baal, 1986, he paints an ancient Phoenician myth. The myths of his heritage are spirits that â€Å" have the signifier of the human being, and they control the life, aging, unwellness and decease of adult male with their mighty ruling power over nature. † ( 4 )

Causes of Poverty

Causes of Poverty Free Online Research Papers â€Å"Most people have an idea of what it means to be poor. Many think of conditions such as hunger, homelessness, preventable diseases, unemployment, and illiteracy as elements of poverty †(pg1;Alters). In my eyes poverty is the condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support. Usually people living in poverty lack the essentials; for instants water, food, and shelter. .There are many causes of poverty, all though not all are accepted universally. Poverty is said to be cause by climate, Environment ,Geographic factor, lack of natural resources, Disease, lacking rule of law and also lack of democracy, infrastructure, health car, education, Government corruption, free trade, racial discrimination and overpopulation. I personally feel and agree that it is caused by all these factors. I think that the main reason for poverty is Government corruption and lack of education. As you may notice many countries living in poverty do not have an organized or democratic g overnment. Many scholars have named Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, Monarchy, Fascism and Totalitarianism as causes of poverty. There are many causes of poverty and how it can be measured.â€Å"Poverty researchers refer to two types of poverty: absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute poverty means that a persons income is not sufficient to afford basic goods and services. Relative poverty compares a persons income to the median (average) household income in that country. Thus, it measures the gap between an income able to afford typical goods and services and incomes below that level†(page75.Alters). Absolute poverty is also considered when a percentage of a population is eating less food than is required to sustain the human body which is 1200-1700 calories for women and 2000-2500 calories for men. Extreme poverty is when one is living on less then one US$ per day. Relative poverty measures the extent to which a households financial resources falls below an average income for the economy. Many criticize these measurements since in parts of the world as East and South Asia have decreased in th e population of extreme poverty from 28 percent to 21 percent from 1990 to 2001. On the other hand other regions as Sub- Saharan Africa have had an increase of extreme poverty from 41 percent to 48 percent from 1990 to 2001. â€Å"Many people throughout the world are in poverty because they are unemployed or underemployed and live in areas where economic opportunities are severely limited†(page13.Alters). I feel that the reason many people are unemployment and living in poverty is due to the lack of education and government structure. â€Å"When world leaders meet in New York in September they will laud the progress that has been made on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), note somberly that much more needs to be done and then promise to do more before 2015 to get them on track.With 1.4 billion living below the $1.25-a-day global poverty line, the number of hungry or undernourished people rising above one billion as food prices have risen, many countries a long way from the human development goals, and rich countries focused on austerity, these leaders will find it hard to be upbeat.† (Journel.David Hulme) I get the sense that the government is realizing that they have been at fault and that their actions need to to speak louder then their words. I feel if education was imposed upon the youth in developing countries and in general countries around the world the people and government would support each in economical growth and people would be able to excel and come out of poverty. I feel that poverty should be considered as not being able to live a comfortably, not having a place to live, and not being able to provide the basic needs for your self and family like food, water, medical attention, and an education. I have known many people that are living in poverty and don’t attend school so that they could work to help their family survive in America. America is not a poor country ;I could imagine how the people from countries like Africa, and Dominican Republic live. I am Dominican and Puerto Rican. When I go to Dominican Republic I see how these children are on the streets asking for money. I see that if it weren’t for there corrupt government which doesn’t provide their people with home and shelter the children would be living in these conditions. On the other hand I was in Puerto Rico is a common wealth, you can see the difference between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. I did not see any children on the streets asking for money in P uerto Rico. Other indications show that the poverty rate is improving due to increase of Life expectancy since WW2. On the other hand poverty has its effects; Two of many effects are starvation and hunger and human trafficking. Hunger is the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food and starvation is a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period. When a person is hunger they experience stomach contractions. In my case of experience mild pain in my stomach called hunger pangs. A single hunger contraction lasts about 30 seconds. It is said that Hunger pangs usually do not begin until 12 to 24 hours after the last ingestion of food, in starvation. In 2003 more than 25,000 people died of starvation according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. When a person starves they lose large amounts of fat and muscle mass as the body breaks down these tissues for energy. This process is called Catabolysis which is the body breaking down muscles and other tissues in order to keep very important systems working in th e body such as the nervous system and heart muscle. Another reason for starvation is the lack of vitamins which leads to the development of anemia, beriberi, pellagra, and scurvy these diseases then lead to diarrhea, skin rashes, edema, and heart failure. Another effect of poverty is Human trafficking. Women are taken against their will and used as sex slaves for money . Some women are tricked into scams since the men who take them captive tell them they are going to bring them to a country like America and will provide them with a job where they could make money and help their families. Not only women are trafficked but children also. Newborn are stolen to be given to a rich couples who are infertile and want to adopting a child. In conclusion we see how there are different measurements of poverty and the different effects poverty have on men, women, and children. Poverty is the condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support. Usually people living in poverty lack the essential as water, food, and shelter. Poverty is said to be cause by climate, Environment ,Geographic factor, lack of natural resources, Disease, lacking rule of law and also lack of democracy, infrastructure, health car, education, Government corruption, free trade, racial discrimination and overpopulation. Research Papers on Causes of PovertyStandardized TestingInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesTwilight of the UAWThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationBringing Democracy to AfricaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraDefinition of Export QuotasResearch Process Part OneQuebec and Canada

Study Guide for The Piano Lesson Play

Study Guide for 'The Piano Lesson' Play The Piano Lesson is part of August Wilsons cycle of 10 plays known as the Pittsburg Cycle. Each play explores the lives of African-American families. The dramas take place in a different decade, from the early 1900s until the 1990s. The Piano Lesson premiered in 1987 at the Yale Repertory Theatre. Overview of the Play Set in Pittsburg during 1936, The Piano Lesson centers on the conflicting wills of a brother and sister (Boy Willie and Berniece) as they vie for possession of their familys most important heirloom, the piano. Boy Willie wants to sell the piano. With the money, he plans to buy land from the Sutters, a white family whose patriarch helped murder Boy Willies father. Berniece, 35, insists that the piano will stay in her home. She even pockets her late husbands gun to ensure the pianos security. So, why the power struggle over a musical instrument? To answer that, one must understand the history of Berniece and Boy Willys family (the Charles family), as well as a symbolic analysis of the piano. The Story of the Piano During Act One, Boy Willys Uncle Doaker recounts a series of tragic events in their familys history. During the 1800s, the Charles family was owned by a farmer named Robert Sutter. As an anniversary present, Robert Sutter traded two slaves for a piano. The exchanged slaves were Boy Willies grandfather (who was only 9 years old at the time) and great-grandmother (after whom Berniece was named). Mrs. Sutter loved the piano, but she missed the company of her slaves. She became so upset she refused to get out of bed. When Robert Sutter was unable to trade back the slaves, he gave a special task to Boy Willies great-grandfather (after whom Boy Willie was named). Boy Willies great-grandfather was a gifted carpenter and artist. Robert Sutter ordered him to carve pictures of the slaves into the wood of the piano so that Mrs. Sutter would not miss them as much. Of course, Boy Willies great-grandfather missed his family more earnestly than the slave owners. So, he carved beautiful portraits of his wife and child, as well as other images: His mother, Mama EstherHis father, Boy CharlesHis marriageHis sons birthHis mothers funeralThe day his family was taken away In short, the piano is more than an heirloom; it is a work of art, embodying the familys joy and heartache. Taking the Piano After the Civil War, members of the Charles family continued to live and work in the south. Three grandchildren of the aforementioned slaves are important characters of The Piano Lesson. The three brothers are: Boy Charles: The father of Boy Willie and Berniece.Doaker: A longtime railroad worker who has for all intents and purposes retired from the worldWining Boy: A lousy gambler and formerly-talented musician. During the 1900s, Boy Charles constantly complained about the Sutter familys ownership of the piano. He believed that the Charles family was still enslaved so long as the Sutters kept the piano, symbolically holding the Charles family legacy hostage. On July 4, the three brothers took the piano away while the Sutters enjoyed a family picnic. Doaker and Wining Boy transported the piano to another county, but Boy Charles stayed behind. That night, Sutter and his posse set fire to Boy Charles home. Boy Charles attempted to escape by train (the 3:57 Yellow Dog, to be exact), but Sutters men blocked the railroad. They set fire to the boxcar, murdering Boy Charles and four homeless men. Over the next 25 years, the murderers met a dreadful fate of their own. Some of them mysteriously fell down their own well. A rumor spread that the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog sought revenge. Others contend that ghosts had nothing to do with the death of Sutter and his men - that living and breathing men threw them into a well. Throughout The Piano Lesson, Sutters ghost appears to each of the characters. His presence can be seen as a supernatural character or the symbolic remnant of an oppressive society that still attempts to intimidate the Charles family.